Tashkent Detects 1.4 Billion Soum Cashback Fraud Scheme

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Employees of the Department under the General Prosecutor’s Office in Tashkent’s Mirzo-Ulugbek district have uncovered a scheme involving the illegal acquisition of budget funds through the tax cashback system. According to the agency, the damage to the state budget amounted to 1.4 billion soums.

The investigation found that responsible officials of three companies, acting under a prior agreement, submitted false information on the supply of goods worth a total of 322.4 billion soums. To make the transactions appear legitimate, they were processed through cash registers, after which 3,363 cash receipts were generated allegedly confirming sales of goods to citizens.

Based on these receipts, cashback payments were issued through the Soliq Mobile application to citizens included in the social protection register. According to investigators, the participants in the scheme illegally obtained 1.4 billion soums in budget funds through this method.

A criminal case has been opened under Articles 167 (misappropriation or embezzlement) and 228 (production, forgery, sale or use of counterfeit documents, stamps, seals and forms) of the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan.

The investigation is ongoing.